We’ve been through worse

America is often a nation divided | Sept. 3

I almost didn’t read the Sunday opinion column by Karl Rove since I don’t agree with him on anything but I’m glad I did. He proves a point when he says that throughout the history of the United States, we as a country have been through much worse, and we are still standing. I personally lived through much of the history he wrote about, and what we are going through today is minimal compared to the assassinations of a president, a presidential candidate and a civil rights icon, combined with segregated schools, political unrest, campus unrest and the Vietnam War. We will get through what’s happening now and come out stronger for it.

David Burg, Tampa

Giving away tax dollars

Florida school vouchers can pay for TVs, kayaks and theme parks. Is that OK? | Sept. 2

It’s been evident for quite a while just how irresponsible the current administration is with taxpayer dollars here in Florida, but this latest fiasco regarding school vouchers is astounding. It’s not exactly a secret that some in government have advocated for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, and the undermining of the public school system, for years and this ought to be the icing on the cake.

LJ Phillips, Brooksville

Support public schools

Florida school vouchers can pay for TVs, kayaks and theme parks. Is that OK? | Sept. 2

As an 84-year-old native of Hillsborough County, product of public schools and professional educator since 1960, I read with great interest the recent article about vouchers provided to home-schoolers being used for items such as TVs and Disney theme park tickets. With all the things the dollars are being used for, there is no mention of the actual quality of the teaching that is taking place. These dollars are taking away from an already underfunded public school system. The experience students gain by learning from a qualified professional cannot be overstated. While public schools may not be perfect, systems have continually worked for decades to improve approaches that can work with a variety of student individual needs and learning styles. Curriculum development has also been an ongoing effort to keep up with modern technology and career needs.

The false narrative presented by our governor that parents are not able to be involved has been very damaging. The fact that many of our educators are parents as well has been completely overlooked. Our young citizens deserve to be well educated, not only to compete within our state, but nationally as well. Whether one has children of school age or not, all of us benefit from a well-educated citizenry.

Barbara McClamma, Riverview

Trump stepped over the line

Trump is the only one to blame | Sept. 3

A recent letter implies that Donald Trump is being prosecuted in Georgia for simply questioning fraud in the 2020 election. This is the most absurd assertion I have seen in a long time, yet it is pervasive. Questioning the integrity of an election is 100% acceptable (and also common). However, there are avenues for challenging results. The former president pursued these endlessly, and failed repeatedly in court. Then he went far beyond any acceptable or legal line to retain his presidency. He is not being prosecuted for an “opinion.” That’s not even close to true.

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Jim Holliman, St. Petersburg

Sunday’s Perspective

America is often a nation divided | Sept. 3

I like the optimism of columnists Eli Tillemann and Karl Rove. Then there is the sobering truth and reality of Will Bunch’s column, ironically perfectly represented by the letter to the editor attacking the Trump indictment in Georgia, stating “millions of Americans still have serious questions about fraud in the 2020 elections,” and that “the American people (should) decide.”

Why are there questions about fraud when there has been zero evidence of it? They say, “What about A?” When that is debunked, they say, “What about B?” When that is debunked, they return to “what about A?” Around and around we go. They have questions because they have been lied to by Trump and his sycophants, and for whatever reason buy it. If you ask conservative media why they keep talking about fraud, they say, “Because many people believe it.” If you ask those people why they believe it, they say, “Because conservative media keeps talking about it.”

Circular logic at its finest!

Todd Tanney, Clearwater

Pros and cons of EVs

EVs are not better | Letters, Sept. 3

More and more opinion is being published on the pros and cons of electric vehicles. The cons suggest that EVs are not really environmentally friendly because of the increased energy and pollution involved in making the batteries for these vehicles. I would like to suggest that the environmental burden is much greater for conventional gas-powered cars because there are roughly 30,000 parts in these vehicles but less than half that many in EVs. Think of the environmental impact of producing and transporting so many more parts per gasoline-powered car. Also, as a Tesla owner, I would like to report that these cars are comfortable, dependable, safe and fun to drive in addition to allowing me to cruise past the lines at the gasoline stations, having charged my EV at home.

Thomas Klein, Tampa